The Competition Turns Into War – Part 1
Luciel followed Harry into the central garden, where the famous Fountain of Fair Fortune stood. The place was filled with students strolling and chatting in a calm atmosphere. However, several glances turned toward them: no wonder, since both were dressed in striking ways.
Luciel, in his ridiculous dog costume, stood out even more as he walked beside Harry, whose spurs clicked with every step.
The worst—or perhaps the best—was that Harry's outfit actually looked surprisingly good on him. And Luciel, even in his comical attire, was still handsome enough to draw sighs and nervous giggles from several girls, who perhaps discovered a new and peculiar taste in the process.
"What are you doing?" a cold, sharp female voice suddenly asked behind Luciel. A voice far too familiar.
He froze for a second before slowly turning around.
There stood Fleur Delacour, arms crossed and wearing a serious expression that left no room for games.
"My dear cousin, how are you?" Luciel greeted with a friendly smile, pretending calm, as if his outfit weren't the most embarrassing thing anyone from a respected French magical family could wear.
Fleur looked him over from head to toe, a flash of annoyance in her eyes.
"Seriously?" she asked, raising a brow in clear disapproval.
Before Luciel could invent an excuse, Harry stepped forward with a crooked, mocking smile.
"Oh, look who we have here. The veela who couldn't even charm a bunch of kids. What's the plan this time, Fleur? Another evil scheme to try again? Sounds like the final villain of the year," he remarked with scorn.
His words, combined with Harry's flamboyant attire, made Fleur's irritation sharpen.
"I don't need to scheme. It's only a matter of time," she replied with a mocking smile of her own, though her words seemed to carry another implication. "Maybe your resistance is simply because you haven't grown enough yet."
The exchange of smiles between them had nothing friendly in it. The tension was palpable, like a spark ready to ignite.
Meanwhile, Luciel watched with great interest, until someone handed him a paper cone of popcorn. He accepted it in confusion, only to see Daphne standing there, watching him expectantly, with Astoria at her side holding her own popcorn.
"What are you doing?" he asked, bewildered.
Daphne only gestured for him to be quiet.
Suddenly, Harry frowned. He glanced up at the sky, then around the area, and finally fixed his eyes on the fountain still pouring out crystal-clear water. He had noticed something.
Daphne caught on immediately and quickly raised her hand.
In that very moment, Harry shifted sideways just in time to avoid a potion vial that came crashing down toward him. The glass shattered on the ground, spilling its contents. Another vial whizzed past, grazing his ear, and Harry reacted by raising his hand: his reddish magic caught it in midair. But what he held wasn't an ordinary vial—it was one of the experimental grenades he and his friends had created. His eyes widened in alarm as he realized what was about to happen.
It was too late to throw it away. The grenade exploded.
Luckily, it wasn't a real blast but a smoke explosion. Harry let out a tired sigh. Not even his friends would be foolish enough to set off one of those for real in the middle of the school.
But in lowering his guard for that instant, he left himself open. Two red-haired figures suddenly appeared, grabbing him by the arms and his shirt with unexpected strength. Buttons popped off as they laughed and hurled him straight into the fountain.
"Deal completed!" Fred shouted as he bolted away with his brother.
"Remember, if you've got more mercenary jobs, you can always call us!" George added cheekily.
Daphne smiled in evident satisfaction, proud that her plan had worked perfectly.
The smoke began to thin little by little, and curious students gathered around, drawn by the commotion. Then they noticed that the fountain was glowing unusually, as if something strange had mixed with its waters, bubbling and sparkling with a mysterious light where Harry had fallen.
Then, Harry rose from the water.
But he was no longer the twelve-year-old boy who had been pushed in. He was older now, at least twenty. His drenched figure was imposing, and the first thing he did was remove his glasses—by now more of an accessory than a necessity—before running a hand through his wet hair, slicking it back. His gaze was cold, dangerous.
His shirt, ripped from the earlier scuffle, hung open, revealing abs no wizard his age should possess. His eyes glowed a fiery red, like live embers, and strands of his hair had taken on a reddish hue that gleamed under the sunlight.
The entire garden fell silent. It was as if the very air wasn't enough to reach their lungs. Daphne froze with her mouth open, so stunned that her popcorn slipped from her hands. Fleur, too, stood frozen, staring him up and down so intensely that her cousin Luciel had to close her mouth with a hand. And they weren't the only ones: the girls all around shared the same spellbound expression.
Harry ignored all the stares and fixed his eyes on Daphne.
"Damn it… it was supposed to turn him into an old man for a couple of hours," she muttered before turning to flee.
But the reddish Chaos magic caught her in midair, lifting her effortlessly and pulling her toward him. Daphne hovered in front of a Harry who, with intimidating calm, fixed his shirt. The buttons that had flown off earlier returned to their places under the control of his aura, fastening one by one, while his clothes and hair dried as if they had never been wet.
His expression remained icy.
Daphne swallowed hard, nervous. The image was far too similar to that time they had awakened Harry's villainous side… only now he was an adult.
"Hey, Harry… that look really suits you," she improvised with a nervous laugh, trying to downplay the situation.
"Yes. And it seems you struck quite a good deal with your new friends," he replied, his voice deep and filled with authority.
"Deal? Never heard that word in my life," Daphne shot back quickly, feigning innocence.
Harry didn't smile. "Do you realize how dangerous this was? A wizard's magic grows as he does. And mine is different from anyone else's. I don't know how you made that potion, but it's not normal. It could have caused a disaster. Luckily, my mother is nearby."
He raised his gaze toward the castle. In one of the windows, Wanda was calmly watching the scene, leaning her head on her arm. With her other hand, she gave a casual wave to both Harry and Daphne.
The young man looked back at his childhood friend with a smile that never reached his eyes. It seemed polite, but the words were anything but kind.
"I wanted to avoid magical attacks or potion tricks, to keep this from turning into chaos. But it looks like our competition has turned into a war. Let's see who's the best. I only hope this school can handle it."
And with complete composure, he grabbed Daphne's cheeks and pulled them hard.
"How, how!" she whimpered in pain until he released her and began walking away. He passed by Fleur without sparing her a glance, his aura radiating power, and addressed Luciel.
"Let's go," he ordered firmly.
Luciel straightened at once, like a disciplined subordinate, and nodded before following. Still, he tossed one last playful jab at his cousin:
"Well, cousin… if Harry grows up like this, I'm not sure who'll end up falling for whose charm."
He dashed after Harry, leaving Fleur frozen in place, still stunned by what she had just witnessed.
Daphne fell to the ground with a huff, grumbling as she rubbed her cheeks.
"Stupid Harry. Even if you turn cool, sexy, and really amazing… I'm not going to lose!"
Astoria, who had been faithfully at her side, clapped enthusiastically.
"You can do it, sister… though I think Harry's going to win," she added with a mischievous smile.
Meanwhile, at the window, Wanda kept watching with interest. A soft scarlet glow radiated from her hand, subtly keeping her son's chaotic power in check, still beyond his ability to fully control. Yet instead of worry, her face bore a warm smile.
"Looks like our little playboy is going to be quite dangerous in the future," she murmured with amusement. Then, tapping the camera thoughtfully against her chin, she added with a tender sparkle in her eyes, "I wonder what my grandchildren will be like."
...
N/A: Harry's "villain mode" appearance turned out pretty cool, didn't it? Hahaha. Now I can't help but wonder… who will end up as his partner, and what would his children be like? Do you remember the "Supreme Sorcerer at Hogwarts" specials with Stephen's kids? I'm thinking of doing something similar with Harry. And before anyone asks—no, it won't be a harem. I still haven't decided on the pairing, and I'm hesitating… there are just so many good options.